Dose-effect study of Gelsemium sempervirens in high dilutions on anxiety-related responses in mice

Introduction This study was designed to investigate the putative anxiolytic-like activity of ultra-low doses of Gelsemium sempervirens (G. sempervirens), produced according to the homeopathic pharmacopeia. Methods Five different centesimal (C) dilutions of G. sempervirens (4C, 5C, 7C, 9C and 30C), the drug buspirone (5 mg/kg) and solvent vehicle were delivered intraperitoneally to groups of ICR-CD1 mice over a period of 9 days. The behavioral effects were assessed in the open-field (OF) and light\u2013dark (LD) tests in blind and randomized fashion. Results Most G. sempervirens dilutions did not affect the total distance traveled in the OF (only the 5C had an almost significant stimulatory effect on this parameter), indicating that the medicine caused no sedation effects or unspecific changes in locomotor activity. In the same test, buspirone induced a slight but statistically significant decrease in locomotion. G. sempervirens showed little stimulatory activity on the time spent and distance traveled in the central zone of the OF, but this effect was not statistically significant. In the LD test, G. sempervirens increased the % time spent in the light compartment, an indicator of anxiolytic-like activity, with a statistically significant effect using the 5C, 9C and 30C dilutions. These effects were comparable to those of buspirone. The number of transitions between the compartments of the LD test markedly increased with G. sempervirens 5C, 9C and 30C dilutions. Conclusion The overall pattern of results provides evidence that G. sempervirens acts on the emotional reactivity of mice, and that its anxiolytic-like effects are apparent, with a non-linear relationship, even at high dilutions

Étude comparée des propriétés de transport électronique d’échantillons massifs et pulvérulents

Afin d'aborder les problèmes posés par des mesures électriques sur des poudres, nous avons choisi un carbone "basse température" (HTT 600) et le sulfure de molybdène MoS2,8. Ces composés sont amorphes. Les propriétés électriques, conductivités mesurées en courants continu et alternatif, mettent en évidence la présence d’états localisés. Le transport électronique s'effectue par saut entre sites par effet tunnel (modèle Q.M.T.). Un calcul numérique a été développé afin de rendre l’interprétation de nos résultats expérimentaux plus précise. Globalement, les résultats obtenus sur les échantillons massifs ou pulvérulents se conservent. Cependant dans le cas des échantillons pulvérulents l'analyse devient plus délicate mais conduit aux mêmes conclusions à condition de sélectionner les résultats dans le domaine des hautes fréquences et des basses températures

X-RAY ABSORPTION STUDY OF FREE AND BOUND SULPHUR IN MoS2+x (0 ≤ x ≤ 1)

Le spectre de photoabsorption X près du seuil K du soufre (XANES), présente des structures indiquant la présence de plusieurs degrés de charge. Le spectre obtenu en retranchant la contribution de MoS2 du spectre de MoS3 est comparé à celui du soufre natif. Cette comparaison indique que le soufre additionnel dans MoS3 présente une coordination proche de celle du soufre natif et qu'il est probablement faiblement lié.The X-ray near K edge structure of S in MoS2 and MoS3 show features indicating different charge states. The MoS3-MoS2 difference spectrum is compared to the K edge spectrum of native sulphur. From this cornparison it is concluded that the additional S atom in MoS3 has similar coordination as in native sulphur and is probably weakly bound

Sequence family variant loss from the AZFc interval of the human Y chromosome, but not gene copy loss, is strongly associated with male infertility

Background: Complete deletion of the complete AZFc interval of the Y chromosome is the most common known genetic cause of human male infertility. Two partial AZFc deletions (gr/gr and b1/b3) that remove some copies of all AZFc genes have recently been identified in infertile and fertile populations, and an association study indicates that the resulting gene dose reduction represents a risk factor for spermatogenic failure. Methods: To determine the incidence of various partial AZFc deletions and their effect on fertility, we combined quantitative and qualitative analyses of the AZFc interval at the DAZ and CDY1 loci in 300 infertile men and 399 control men. Results: We detected 34 partial AZFc deletions (32 gr/gr deletions), arising from at least 19 independent deletion events, and found gr/gr deletion in 6% of infertile and 3.5% of control men (p>0.05). Our data provide evidence for two large AZFc inversion polymorphisms, and for relative hot and cold spots of unequal crossing over within the blocks of homology that mediate gr/gr deletion. Using SFVs (sequence family variants), we discriminate DAZ1/2, DAZ3/4, CDY1a (proximal), and CDY1b (distal) and define four types of DAZ-CDY1 gr/gr deletion. Conclusions: The only deletion type to show an association with infertility was DAZ3/4-CDY1a (p = 0.042), suggesting that most gr/gr deletions are neutral variants. We see a stronger association, however, between loss of the CDY1a SFV and infertility (p = 0.002). Thus, loss of this SFV through deletion or gene conversion could be a major risk factor for male infertility